Kakadu 'likely to be found endangered'

The head of a World Heritage advisory body says it will be difficult for the Australian Government to keep Kakadu National Park off an endangered list.

The 22nd World Heritage Committee meeting in Kyoto yesterday deferred making a decision on the park's status for six months. This will allow further reports and investigation into the impact of the Jabiluka Uranium Mine development.

Australia has rejected the committee's request that all work on the mine project stop until those investigations are complete.

Jean Louis Luxen, secretary general of the International Council on monuments and sites, which advises the committee, believes the issue can be amicably resolved.

Meanwhile, Federal Environment Minister Robert Hill says he does not understand why the World Heritage Committee should be worried about Kakadu.

"It's only the decline that's being constructed at the moment," Senator Hill said.

"It's outside of the World Heritage area, it's outside the national park, there is no way in which there can be any damage resulting from this process, so what can they be worried about?"

But the Opposition says the Government's refusal to freeze the mine will have repercussions for Australia's international reputation. Shadow Environment Minister Nick Bolkus says Australia will no longer have any moral authority to campaign on environmental issues.

"If we don't obey it then I think we're basically trying to stand up UNESCO," Mr Bolkus said.

"We're trying to stand up the world's leading education and scientific organisation and in doing so the rest of the world will see us as the mob of cowboys that this Government has taken us to be."

Senator Hill says he cannot ask mining company Energy Resources of Australia (ERA), which ownes the mine site, to stop work as it had already jumped the highest environmental hurdles.

ERA says it will continue to construct the Jabiluka uranium mine, despite international calls to stop the work. The company says the decision ignores 20 years of environmental investigations. ERA head Phillip Shirvington says the World Heritage Committee's recommendation changes nothing.

"It's impractical and, in fact, wrong to stop the project half-way through, a project that has been approved under Australian law by due process, and we won't be stopping."

Environmentalists

The group, Friends of the Earth, says the Federal Government must use its powers to delay work on the Jabiluka uranium mine.

The government has welcomed the decision to defer consideration of the report, but has refused to order mining company ERA to stop construction.

Friends of the Earth campaigner John Hallam says allowing work to continue will only harden the committee's resolve.

"If construction continues I think it's inevitable that Kakadu will be placed on the in-danger list, but it would also do irreparable damage to the park," Mr Hallam said.

"It is absolutely essential that construction does not continue and we are calling on the government to use the powers that it does have in order to stop construction forthwith."

Traditional owners

The group that represents traditional owners of the Jabiluka mine site says the Australian Government must halt construction of the uranium mine.

Policy officer with the Gundjehmi Aboriginal Corporation, Mathew Fagan, says unless the work stops, Australia will be treating the United Nations with contempt.

"The world's highest cultural and environmental body has said 'fair's fair'," Mr Fagan said. "'We've given you six months to respond to the serious dangers identified in the UNESCO Kakadu mission's report, how about you do the right thing and halt construction while the international jury is out on this issue'?"